Waitersfriend

a friend in waiting

Waitersfriend

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Homepage: http://www.waitersfriend.com.au/blog


Posts by Waitersfriend

Appetite for Excellence 2010 Finalists Announced

May 29

Posted by Waitersfriend in Electrolux Appetite for Excellence

Following intense scrutiny by a panel of Australia’s culinary heavyweights, some of the country’s most passionate young talent has been shortlisted to continue in the 2010 Electrolux Appetite for Excellence Awards in three categories: Electrolux Young Chef, Electrolux Young Waiter and Electrolux Young Restaurateur. Now in its sixth year, the program is dedicated to educating and nurturing emerging hospitality industry professionals and raising awareness of the career opportunities this vibrant industry offers.

The following young professionals have been announced as the 2010 Electrolux Appetite for Excellence finalists.  They will continue through the competition to be judged by an awe-inspiring panel of [read more...]

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Peter Gilmore Joins Excellence Awards Panel

Mar 12

Posted by Waitersfriend in Electrolux Appetite for Excellence

Quay’s multi-hatted chef Peter Gilmore - whose skill has steered Quay to Best Restaurant status over the past few years - has joined the highly regarded Electrolux Appetite for Excellence judging panel for 2010.  Peter will be judging the Young Restaurateur category along with Chef & owner of Universal Christine Manfield and founders Lucy Allon and Luke Mangan.    Another new addition to the growing list of culinary greats associated with these Awards is Melbourne chef Andrew McConnell (Cutler & Co, Cumulus Inc) who joins as one of the Young Chef state judges, VIC.

Entries for the 2010 Appetite for Excellence Awards [read more...]

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Coonawarra Wine Tasting Roadshow

Mar 11

Posted by Waitersfriend in Industry Info, Wine

COONAWARRA HEADS OUT OF TOWN TO YOUR CITY!

Coonawarra is ready for it’s annual road trip and is stopping in 6 different cities around the nation!  Come and enjoy a wine tasting like no other. Coonawarra wineries, featuring the personalities behind these iconic brands, have you taste their iconic wines, all in one place!

Brisbane Monday, August 16th Vino’s Restaurant & Bar, 1 Eagle Street

Sydney Tuesday, August 17th The Menzies Hotel, 14 Carrington Street

Canberra Wednesday, August 18th University House, Balmain Crescent, Acton

Melbourne Thursday, August 19th Melbourne Town Hall, The Main Hall, Level 1, Cnr of Swanston & Collins Streets

Adelaide Monday, August 23th [read more...]

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Charles Maclean - Whisky Tasting

Mar 2

Posted by Waitersfriend in Industry Info

Waitersfriend highly recommend checking out this event:

To kick-start a fantastic year of events for the Society in 2010, we are delighted to announce that our 1st Quarter tasting in Sydney will feature a very special guest - the inimitable Charles Maclean.   Charles is one of the world’s leading authors on whisky, having published no less than eight books on the topic.  Furthermore, his presentations and masterclasses are amongst the most comprehensive, informative, and entertaining tastings in the world.  Charles is also one of two “chairmen” serving on the Society’s Tasting Panel in Edinburgh, and is responsible for preparing the UK [read more...]

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David Hohnen - McHenry Hohnen Wines

Feb 24

Posted by Waitersfriend in Industry Info, Wine

Waitersfriend was recently fortunate enough to catch up with David Hohnen. 

David was the man behind Cape Mentelle and after selling Cape Mentelle, he went into partnership with his brother-in-law Murray McHenry & his daughter Freya to start ‘McHenry Hohnen Wines.’

He showed us some pictures of the deer he had roaming around the vineyard.  They assisted in weed control and aided grass/clover cover which in turn created a good nitrogen injection into the soil.  He is now culling the deer as he feels they are a hazard being so close to the main road and the potential for a very nasty accident [read more...]

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Dan Murphy’s assault on distribution

Feb 17

Posted by Waitersfriend in Social Bites

Waitersfriend has just been informed through a very close source that Woolworths owned Dan Murphy’s is going in to the distribution business. ALM or Australian Liquor Marketers will lose the near $500,000,000.00 contract to supply the chain. 

One would ask if this will spell the end of ‘ALM’ & ‘Harbottle on Premise’ distributors. If Woolworths track record is anything to go by you would have to assume this is the start of the distribution business not the end. And if that is the case then what is the business plan? I would suggest that there would be some wonderful synergies between [read more...]

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Terence Conran on Restaurants

Feb 14

Posted by Waitersfriend in Industry Info

One of Waitersfriends’ favourite hospitality books is ‘Terence Conran on Restaurants.’  Its glossy pages are rich with wonderful images of all things restaurant which is fantastic for the person who doesn’t necessarily want to read the articles but does like to look at the pictures.

Apart from the delicious eye candy, Conran delivers up a plethora of wonderful insights into what makes a restaurant tick.  He shares his thoughts, ideas and wisdom from how he began his love affair with restaurants, to working in, owning and developing them. 

The book serves up the journey from taking an idea for a restaurant through [read more...]

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Electrolux Appetite for Excellence 2010

Feb 4

Posted by Waitersfriend in Electrolux Appetite for Excellence, Industry Info

Founded in 2005 by Luke Mangan and Lucy Allen the Electrolux Appetite for Excellence program is a fantastic source of inspiration and encouragement for young up and coming hospitality professionals.  The press release below outlines this year’s program and announces the judging panel which is made up of “some of Australia’s most successful chefs, restaurateurs, and industry leaders”. 

Waitersfriend encourages eligible waiters, chefs and restaurateurs to take part in this amazing program.  Plenty of wonderful industry related information can also be found at the Appetite for Excellence website - from industry talks to food articles and recipes and all you need [read more...]

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A Cracking Bloody Mary

Jan 11

Posted by Waitersfriend in Cocktails

As we near the end of the holiday season and the body starts to feel the wear & tear of the booze fuelled weekends & late nights it has endured, it may be necessary to kick yourself a couple of times to get going in the mornings.  Here is a classic cocktail with a couple of tweaks to help get the heart started and overcome that terrible racket inside your head.

My Bloody Mary:

30ml of vodka (60ml if in a hurricane glass or boston shaker),

150ml tomato juice,

15ml lemon juice,

10ml soy sauce,

Teaspoon horseradish (fresh if possible),

10ml worstershire sauce,

5 drops tabasco sauce (adjust [read more...]

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The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg

Jan 11

Posted by Waitersfriend in Wine

In this instance the goose is New Zealand & the egg is that damned Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.  When will it stop?  THEY simply cannot get enough of it!  By THEY, I mean the ladies & mum & dad Jones.  It is a fricking phenomenon!

DON’T YOU KNOW WE HAVE PERFECTLY GOOD SAUVIGNON BLANC HERE IN AUSTRALIA?  FOR GOD’S SAKE, BUY SOME GOOD AUSSIE BOOZE!

I am not saying there are no good NZ Savvies, no no no!  There are some fine examples that are well worth drinking but there is also some absolute cat’s piss out there and it doesn’t seem to stop [read more...]

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